Report Slams NY Law Barring Many Child Molestation Lawsuits

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A new report finds that New York is one of the worst states when it comes to allowing child molestation victims to sue their abusers.

The analysis conducted by University of Pennsylvania professor Marci Hamilton looked at how states have responded since the clergy sex abuse scandal erupted in 2002 in Boston.

Hamilton that while most states have taken steps to make it easier for victims to seek criminal charges or file civil suits, New York remains one of the worst states when it comes to allowing victims to sue.

Current law gives victims until they're 23 to file lawsuits against their abusers. A proposal to extend the deadline and create a one-year window for lawsuits already barred by the existing statute of limitations is pending before lawmakers.